


I Remember You

by Sophie_Anne



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst, Break Up, F/M, Happy Ending, M/M, navy seal!stiles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-03
Updated: 2015-01-03
Packaged: 2018-03-05 04:55:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3106808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sophie_Anne/pseuds/Sophie_Anne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Stiles takes in a deep breath, squaring his shoulders and meets Derek's eyes unwavering.  "I'm going to ask this one last time.  After this, that's it Derek.  There will be no changing your mind after this.  Coming back and trying to get back together.  So, I want you to think about it hard.  Is this really what you want to do?"</p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>Derek ends his relationship with Stiles.  He doesn't expect Stiles to leave them all behind because of it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Remember You

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know WTF this is. Not beta read, so yeah. 
> 
> Enjoy it for what it is.

There is a moment when Derek comes to the cold realization that whatever he says next will determine the rest of his life. 

It comes on during what will probably rank high on his lists of shittiest moments in his life. Stiles is crying begging him to change his mind. Pleading with him not to do this, this being ending whatever it is that they have. Derek doesn't want to call it a relationship, that scares him to much to admit. Deep down he knows that this is what it is or was. 

Deep down he knows that he loves Stiles just as much as Stiles loves him. Because he knows, with every fiber of his being that Stiles loves him. Worst of it all is that Stiles knows that Derek loves him back just as ferociously. 

Doesn't understand then why Derek would do this, other then the fact that he has a compulsion to continually be the martyr. Stiles being Stiles calls him out on this, rolls his eyes through the steady stream of tears escaping his eyes. His face red and blotchy with anger and sadness. 

Unmercifully, Derek remains steady in his determination. An unwavering mantra of "this is for the best," chanting through his thoughts. 

Derek watches with a sense of relief and dread. A combination he never thought was possible to experience, as Stiles seems to realize that Derek isn't going to change his mind. This is what he has decided for the both of them, without taking Stiles into consideration. For the first time since Derek has known Stiles he sees a stoic unreadable look take over his features. His breathing evens out along with his heart rate, an odd uncharacteristic calmness settling over him that Derek has never born witness to. 

It scares Derek, he wasn't expecting this. 

Stiles takes in a deep breath, squaring his shoulders and meets Derek's eyes unwavering. "I'm going to ask this one last time. After this, that's it Derek. There will be no changing your mind after this. Coming back and trying to get back together. So, I want you to think about it hard. Is this really what you want to do?

His voice shakes a little towards to end, his calmness slipping just a millimeter before it's back again. 

Derek feels like he's being ripped apart, but some how miraculously he manages to speak. "Yes." 

He wants to say more, this is for the best. You deserve better. I can be better, no I don't mean it. Stay. Stay with me. 

He doesn't say any more. 

Stiles nods, his face unreadable. His scent strange to Derek, he can't detect an strong emotions from him. He senses nothing from Stiles, and that unsettles something deep within him. Making his wolf agitated and angry. He feels that instinctive drive to rush to his mate and comfort him. He stays rooted to the spot where his stands. 

Watches as Stiles makes his way through the loft gathering his things and leaves not even sparring a glance backwards. It feels like hours before Derek moves from the spot Stiles left him standing at. 

*******

He doesn't see Stiles after that, it was barely August when Derek broke off their... whatever it was. He stops coming to pack meetings, to training sessions. He doesn't even come around for small celebrations. He barely hangs out with his friends, something Derek wasn't expecting. Scott is hurt and confused but he doesn't push Stiles. Surprisingly, Scott doesn't hold it against Derek. He never thought Derek was good enough for Stiles. He tells him this more or less one day out of the blue. 

"It's for the best, you did the right thing. He... well he deserves better. You know.. I mean not that you aren't. It's just he can still be normal, he should have that. Have that option." Scott says this, even though it pains him in a way Derek knows he feels that this is the truth. 

It's all for the best. 

Lydia is the one that seems to be the one most upset about it, yells at Derek. Tries to blackmail Stiles back into the fold. It gets to the point where Stiles tells her in no uncertain terms to back off. 

After that he cuts them all off, completely. It's January. 

*******

Stiles freshly turned 18 graduates early, and leaves Beacon Hills. It's February.

Derek hears all about it almost third hand from Allison of all people.

He doesn't tell anyone not even his dad, until he already has his diploma in hand and refuses to attend the graduation ceremony in May. His mother apparently, had come from a well off family. Something Derek didn't even know. She had left Stiles a comfortable trust fund, it by all means was nothing lavish from what Allison had gathered from her conversation with Melissa but it had been enough. 

Enough for Stiles to take a trip of self discovery as he told his father. Who was angry at his child but aware that he could do nothing to stop him. Other then make him promise that at the end he would be in college come August. 

Stiles had promised that he would.

He leaves that March.

Tells his dad he will call soon. Scott goes to say goodbye along with the rest of Derek's pack sans Derek. When they get to Stiles house, he's already gone. 

*******

August creeps up, and Derek learns from Lydia this time that Stiles has broken his promise to his father and is not going to college. 

He's enlists instead, Navy. 

Derek stops listening at that point. Gets up and leaves just as Lydia is getting started on her rant about Derek driving Stiles away. 

*******

It's almost a year later, July this time. When big trouble descends on Beacon Hills for the first time in months. The pack comes together, and this time there is no way not to involve the Sheriff so they do. He takes the whole werewolf thing in stride. A simple, "that explains so much," before he asks them to fill him in. 

John works well with them, and he seems to like Derek now that knows that he isn't some serial killer. They manage to drive the challenging pack out of their territory and peace descends on them just as quickly as danger had. 

*******

In October John convinces Derek to take the state exam and join the Sheriff's department. He agrees, and Isaac teases him by referring to him as Deputy Hale for an entire month. 

Everything aside, he likes it. John trusts him, and they work well together. 

This time it's John that tells Derek that Stiles has been promoted in rank and that his commanding officer is encouraging him for a try at the SEALS when the time comes. 

John seems unhappy about all of it, Derek knows that feeling. 

******

Time goes on, years pass. It's December and Derek hasn't seen Stiles in over 6 years. 

John comes home from a short leave to visit Stiles, just out of SEALS training. Looking sad but proud of his only child. 

He tells them about the graduation ceremony, talks around the fact that Stiles more then likely didn't even bother to ask about any of them. 

At the end of the month Allison and Scott have a Christmas wedding. The pack celebrates. Stiles doesn't come. 

*******

Stiles is 28, when he comes home. It's May. 

Derek knows the minute Stiles comes back to town. Knows too that Stiles is not here because he want's to be. 

Scott tells him how Stiles has been put on mandatory leave pending a formal investigation. 

"Investigation into what?" Derek asks bewildered. 

Scott shakes his head. "I don't know, he wouldn't say. Hell, I'm surprised he said anything about it. He's so different, I barely recognized him." 

He says the last part in a sad tone. Derek glares asking with out words what Scott means. 

"You'll see."

Derek doubts that. 

*******

He really doesn't expect to see Stiles. They've managed to avoid each other for slightly over a decade, it's practically an art-form to both of them. 

John and him are in the middle of going over a series of animal attacks in the northern portion of the preserve that frankly are a little more then animal attacks. When he comes face to face with Stiles for the first time since he ended their whatever. 

There's a short knock on John's door before it's pushed open. They both look up at the same time, and that's when Scott's words come crushing back to him. He's so different. 

It's been 10 years, and Derek doesn't know who the man in front of him is. There is no mistaking that Stiles is a man. 

He's a least a foot taller then the last time Derek saw him. Covered in ropes of muscles and tattoos, his hair slightly longer then what he thinks is probably regulation. He's bigger, presence imposing and intimidating. Features schooled into indifference. His plain black t-shirt and khakis stretch over those acres of muscles. 

"Sorry for interrupting. Hello Derek." He says almost as an after thought. Hello Derek. Derek feels a bloom of irrational rage. All these years and that's the first thing he says. 

Derek barely manages a nod of greeting. Stiles raises an eyebrow at him and offers no other reaction. 

"Hey son, come to visit your old man?" John waves Stiles into the room. 

"Just in the area thought you might want to grab lunch. What's going on here?" Stiles points to the markings on the map. 

"Animal attacks, that seem to be a little more then animal attacks." John explains warily. 

"We think there might be a pattern," Derek is surprised he has managed to speak. 

Stiles looks up from the map, gives Derek a smirk that he's never seen on Stiles before. 

"That's because there is, see here." 

It ends with Stiles helping them track down a Wendigo. He wishes that he can say that it all feels like old times, like Stiles coming back to them but it doesn't. 

They take down the Wendigo easily with his help. He's a gifted tracker, and even more gifted killer. The Wendigo meets his end not by a werewolf but at the end of a large hunting knife wielded by Stiles. 

Derek lays there on the hard dirt ground on the spot the Wendigo had thrown him and watches as Stiles effortlessly distracts and guts it. 

Stiles seems please with himself. Derek has the strongest desire to throw up. 

*********

Melissa throws a dinner to welcome Stiles back and the whole pack attends. Stiles brings a date. Her name is Chloe, and she's what his mother would have described as a lovely girl. Stiles seems amused by her. This is when he learns something else about the New Stiles. This Stiles isn't capable of loving another. 

Derek feels like his heart is being ripped out. I did this. 

Stiles meets his gaze across the table gives him that same unknown smirk as if saying I know what you're thinking. Maybe he does. Derek feels trapped, he spends the rest of the dinner quietly mourning. 

*********

Chloe they all come to realize is the first of a litany of conquests for Stiles. They blur after awhile, and John doesn't know what to think about any of it. Derek says nothing. Scott seems bewildered by Stiles behavior in general. No one else cares to comment about it. 

*********

Stiles has his formal hearing, and is cleared of any wrong doing. He then requests a honorable discharge, and is given it after the outrage from his superiors does nothing to change his mind. 

He comes back to Beacon Hills after to the surprise of everyone. 

He rents an apartment over the local book store in downtown. No ones sees him, it's as if he still has never come back. 

John tells him Stiles has taken a contract with a private security company. He's been overseas a lot, doing what John doesn't know and more importantly doesn't want to know. 

********

It's February, eight months after Stiles return and he's just turned 29 when he comes back from eastern Europe. Doing whatever it is he does so well. Stiles is always cryptic when asked. Derek would rather not know either way. 

This time he doesn't come back alone. 

His name is Ranger, yes it's a nickname. Better then his actual first name he jokes when Stiles introduces him during pack dinner night. 

Ranger is 6'4 and over two hundred pounds of muscle covered by olive toned skin and a jawline you could sharpen at knife with. 

Scott hates him almost as much as Derek. 

They all expect him to rotate out as quickly as all of Stiles' other plus ones. He doesn't. 

He works for the same private company as Stiles apparently and they've known each other for years. They work well together, and he's Stiles second. Derek's blood freezes in his veins. He says nothing, shows no reaction to Stiles bringing anyone home that appears to have actual potential.

********

Ranger moves in with Stiles in November. They are overseas again when Thanksgiving rolls around, he calls John wishes him a happy Thanksgiving promises to be back shortly after the new year. 

*********

It's the middle of January when Stiles come back, Ranger does not. He drives down to San Diego to visit Ranger's family and for the funeral. John tries to talk to him about it. Stiles says nothing. 

Stiles doesn't come home after that. He takes a 5 year contract in South America. He doesn't bother to make contact with any of them not even John. 

********

Stiles is 35, and officially retired from any form of service when he returns to stay in Beacon Hills. It's June. 

This time when the pack welcomes him home for the second time Stiles comes alone. He smiles and jokes and laughs. This time his calmness doesn't seem calculating or intimidating. It's friendly and familiar. 

Pack dinner has a different feel to it this time around. It feels like Stiles has finally come back to them. Derek doesn't know how to feel about any of it. 

*******

He runs into Stiles 3 weeks after his return in the middle of the preserve. Stiles explains that he's just out for a run, he tries to pay attention to what he says. It's a little distracting to follow when Stiles is just a few feet in front of him shirtless and sweaty and more tempting then ever. He smiles at Derek, the smile Derek remembers and something shifts between them. 

He feels something like a smile tug at his own lips. They run together for the rest of the respective runs. It's becomes a their thing. 

It's not until August that Stiles stops them mid-run and crowds Derek against the nearest tree and kisses him. 

It's different and the same all at once. Stiles mouth softer then he was expecting, the wet heat of his mouth making him groan. He feels lust bloom in him and pulls them closer together. 

They break apart panting, and diving in for more. 

Derek somehow has enough of his sense around him to ask. "You said never again." 

Stiles looks at him, and he knows now where this is going. "I did, but I'm not that boy anymore. Things have changed. I still love you Derek. That's never changed, what shouldn't I fight for you."

Derek can't and won't argue with that. Instead he just kisses Stiles again. Pulling back to say what he should of said back all those years ago. "I love you too."

********

Derek is 41 and it's December. 

The pack has descended on his home for Christmas dinner. Stiles by his side. He's never been happier. 

 

 

 

THE END


End file.
